X. 1. THE AMERICAN ELM. 295 



kindness of Dr. 0. W. Holmes and J. J. Dixwell, Esq. Others 

 I have obtained from other individuals and from the New Eng- 

 land Farmer, and a still greater number I have measured my- 

 self. In the following statistics, the words "circumference," 

 "feet," "inches," and "from the ground," will be generally 

 omitted : — 



Three miles from Hingham, a fine tall elm measured, in June, 1840, 12 feet 

 7 inches at4£ feet. It is of the Etruscan vase shape, and a fine specimen. In 

 the same year, an old elm at Heard's Island, in Wayland, was 20 feet at 1£, 

 and 15 feet 5, at 3|. A very noble tree, 75 feet high, and with a spread of 128 

 feet from northeast to southwest, and not much less in any direction, covering 

 a broad space with its dense shade. One in Lincoln, a beautifully irregular 

 and picturesque tree, with a full, broad head, growing on the road-side, and 

 giving a cheerful aspect to two houses, and on which a family of orioles 

 had built their hanging nests for not less than seventeen years, — was 12 feet 9, 

 at 5 feet. A broad, spreading tree on the Old Common in Lancaster, was 14 

 feet 6, at 5 feet 6. East of Centre Bridge, in the same town, on the south side 

 of the river, by a green lane which was once a town road, a tree of 70 or 80 

 feet high, measured 20 feet 9, at 2 feet above the bulging of the roots. An 

 elm near Breck's garden, one half in a wall, was 16 feet 3, at 5£. It enlarges 

 above and divides into many branches, spreading into a vase-like shape, with a 

 broad, magnificent head of 80 or 90 feet in height. Several other very noble 

 trees are near by. 



The following were measured by Dr. Holmes, in September, 



1837 :— 



Great elm, at Springfield, was 29 feet 4, at about 1 foot; 25 feet 10, at 2 or 3 ; 

 24 feet 8, at 5. A curious tree, also in Springfield, was 20 feet 1, at 1 ; 18 feet 

 5, where smallest; 22 feet 11, at 5. One on Northampton meadow, was 22 

 feet 2, at 1 ; 22 feet at 3 ; 23 feet 9, at 5. A second was, 19 feet 7, at 1 ; 16 

 feet 6, at 5. One in Mr. Whitney's yard, in that town, was 22 feet 2, at 1 ; 

 18 feet 7, at 5. One on Deerfield street was, 17 feet 7, at 5 ; another, on the 

 Colman farm, 23 feet 9, at 1 ; 16 feet 7, at 5. A tree at Hatfield, measured 

 35 feet 9, at a little above 1 ; 23 feet 2, at 5 ; 22 feet 7, at 6£. The elm on 

 the Common, at Pittsfield, was 17 feet 4, at 1 ; and 12 feet 7, at 5. One on 

 the Wendell farm, 20 feet at 1 ; 13 feet 4, at 5. Thaddeus Morse, at Med- 

 field, had a tree which measured 37 feet 4, probably at the ground. 



The following elm trees, in Northampton, were measured by 



Mr. Dixwell, in November, 1841 : — 



On the intervale between the town and river, in " Middle Meadow," an old 

 elm, within sight of the ferry-landing, from Mount Holyoke towards the south- 



